


make it through (with hearts intact)

by ShippingEverything



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: F/M, Hearts, but chapter one still works as a one-shot, love confessions that aren't saying 'i love you', off-screen body modification, spoilers to s6 in chapter two!, zrs4 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23527240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShippingEverything/pseuds/ShippingEverything
Summary: “Yeah, that’s definitely a heart,” Paula says as she pokes at the heart with instruments, hands gloved and facial mask in place. “I can’t say for sure, but it’s the right size to be human.”Janine, who has spent the week fielding questions from panicked civilian residents about the so-calledPhantom of Abel, sighs. She is so,sotired.Or: Literal hearts are a little less romantic than, say, a good heart-shaped box of chocolates, but apocalyptic times call for apocalyptic measures.
Relationships: Janine De Luca/Peter Lynne, Janine De Luca/Simon Lauchlan
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> a little "lydia gets so bored during quarantine that they work on wips" gift for yall! i cannot stress enough that there have been One, maybe Two lines about hearts and people who can live without them in the entirety of zr, and yet here i am, spurred into this. 
> 
> also: not exactly a gore warning, but the main premise of this fic is that someone has removed their own heart? it happens off screen but. it's talked about. both chapters are going to be able to stand alone (though they revolve around the same premise) and chapter 2 will have spoilers through to... s6 if im remembering correctly off the top of my head. so if you're okay with all that! read on and please enjoy!
> 
> title from fall out boy's _i'm like a lawyer... (me & you)_ which is ABSOLUTELY a simon/janine song

Janine De Luca is a reasonable woman, first and foremost. That's why when she walks into her bedroom after a long day and sees a human heart resting atop her pillows, she turns immediately around to get Paula.

“Yeah, that’s definitely a heart,” Paula says as she pokes at the heart with instruments, hands gloved and facial mask firmly in place. “I can’t say for sure, but it’s the right size to be human. Almost dry though, which is weird. Who would hold onto a heart for that long just to drop it in _your_ _room_?”

Janine, who has spent the week organizing missions around the newly revived Ministry, dealing with Amelia Spens, and fielding questions from panicked civilian residents about the so-called _Phantom of Abel_ , sighs. She is so, _so_ tired.

“It’s not infected? No chance of the Virus being spread through its presence?”

“Well, no,” Paula confirms, “But it’s still really weird-”

“Thank you, Doctor Cohen, I think I’ll be going to bed now.”

“What about the heart?”

“You can have it if you’d like. _I_ certainly have no use for it.” Janine says, allowing Paula to lift it from its place on Janine’s bed. Paula looks at it with the sort of wonder that makes Janine grateful that she’s on their side. Janine changes her sheets and goes to bed.

After that, Janine forgets about it; there’s a lot going on, between chasing down Comansys, dealing with Amelia, Five being brainwashed, and Simon apparently, _somehow_ , still being alive. Janine has to keep Abel from running itself into the ground and England from falling prey to mad scientists, she doesn’t have _time_ to spare a thought for miscellaneous organs appearing in her room besides to up the security for her quarters. Then, after everything with Moonchild is done-

Well.

After, Janine makes sure that she doesn’t have much time to think too closely about _anything_. It’s easy enough, after that one drink to fallen runners, to push herself into ministry reconstruction efforts and redistributing Maxine’s duties due to her impending pregnancy. She manages to completely forget about the heart until Maxine knocks on her study door one morning, biohazard bag in hand.

“Can I come in?” Maxine asks even as she opens the door. Janine warily puts the mission report she was reading down because she knows the tone in Maxine’s voice; that’s her _I have news and I’m not sure how you’ll take it_ voice, her _Sam moved some stuff around in the Comms Shack and now_ something _is broken and he sent me to ask you for help_ voice.

“Of course, Doctor Myers,” Janine says, rather than letting out the petulant _What is it_ now _?_ sitting in her throat. Maxine walks in and places the bag gently on a clear spot of Janine’s desk. Janine's eyes follow the motion. “Should I ask about the bag? A new disaster for us to solve, maybe?”

Maxine laughs, but it’s dry. “Not quite. We were reorganizing the hospital and I found this in the storage container that Paula put it in after you gave it to her -- We should also talk about that, anyway, because you shouldn’t just give my wife random organs you find. Just because they aren’t infected with the zombie virus doesn’t mean they’re _clean_.”

“Your point, Doctor?”

“Oh, yeah, well,” Maxine clears her throat, “The containment boxes, they’re good for storing anything we’re not sure about, but preserving organs outside of cooling elements is nearly impossible; sitting forgotten in a styrofoam box, that heart should have degraded a decent amount by now.”

“Should have?” Janine prods. Maxine nods, gesturing at the bag. Janine sighs before pulling it closer to open. She wishes that she could say that she was surprised to see the heart, as dry and whole as the day she found it on her bed. “Hm. And it’s not a zombie heart?”

“No, I’m sure of that much,” Maxine says, and Janine doesn’t have to look up from the heart to know that Maxine is looking at her with soft, pitying eyes. “We don’t exactly have DNA sequencing technology, but I think-”

“I know.” Janine interrupts. She zips the bag shut and pushes it back towards Maxine. Her mouth twists unhappily. “You don’t have to say it.”

There’s a moment, then Maxine softly says, “Janine… I don’t think I should take this back.”

“ _What_?”

“He left it for you, and now that he’s gone, it’s all we have. I think-”

“While your _thoughts_ are much appreciated, Doctor Myers, they’re also none of my concern,” Janine says, voice cold and eyes hard from years of practice. She holds Maxine’s eye and purposely doesn’t send even a glance to the bag holding the last piece of Simon Lauchlan that she- that any of them have. “Mr. Lauchlan made his choices, yes, but I should be allowed to make my own as well.”

Maxine frowns. She looks between Janine and the bio-bag. There’s a second where Janine thinks she’s going to say something else, where her mouth opens and closes and Janine expects more gently insistent words, but in the end she just stands and sighs, belaboured. “Well, I guess you’re right. If you don’t want it, that’s your business. You know where the biohazard disposal area is, right?”

“Of course I do.”

“Great! You can bring it over there, then,” Maxine says. She grins in the face of Janine’s bafflement and annoyance. “Do I look like a gofer to you? I have a Ph.D., Janine, I’m not an _intern_.”

“I know that-” Janine cuts herself off and shakes her head. “You won’t distract me, Doctor Myers, I don’t _want_ this.”

“Then get rid of it yourself, Janine.” Maxine raises an eyebrow as Janine’s mouth hangs open. “I don’t think it should be thrown away at all; if you do, you can deal with it. You are, after all, our _ever_ self-reliant leader.”

“Doctor Myers,” Janine starts but Maxine is out of the door before she can collect her thoughts. Janine sighs, deep and exhausted, and throws a displeased glare at the bag on her desk. She doesn't want to focus on what it means that she has this; she has no interest in imagining Simon sneaking into her room one last time to leave his literal heart upon her mattress, doesn't want to think about how he could do _this_ but refused to see her in person any time before the Ice Cream Cone Tower. She didn't _ask_ for his heart, she didn't want anything more than a little stress relief, and now-

Janine clears her throat roughly and stands from her desk, picking up the biohazard bag as she does. She opens it once more, looks at the unmoving flesh within, before zipping it viciously and moving it temporarily to her bookshelf.

It's still early afternoon, after all, and Janine has paperwork to do and treaties to read and mission reports to file. _His heart has kept for this long_ , she thinks as she gets back to work, _It will simply have to wait a while longer_.

And if Janine forgets to get it before leaving her study that evening, or the next evening, or even the evening after that, then, well, it’s not like it’s going to _rot_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! i hope you liked this and i cannot stress enough that this chapter can Technically be read as a standalone one-shot and that the second chapter of this fic has spoilers up to mid s5-ish! be warned beware be wary!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi sorry it's been a Weird month
> 
> anyway! spoilers up to, lets say, s6 _technically_ but logistically, if you've done whatever s5 mission lazarus was then you should be good here
> 
> please enjoy!

The good news is that the knife hit Peter’s ribs at the wrong angle and didn’t go all the way in. The bad news, as far as Maxine is concerned, is that Peter pulled it back out afterward. Janine, from her spot standing in the doorway, watches Maxine scold him with a softer look on her face than she’d usually allow.

“I have told you _multiple times_ to _leave the knives in_ ,” Maxine says sternly. Peter waves her annoyance off, though the effect is lessened by how he winces as Maxine prods his side.

“It’s not like I have to worry about permanent damage,” Peter argues, “Anything wrong will right itself, eventually -- I’m good at _that_ at least. I don’t get what the big deal is.”

“The _‘big deal’_ is that you could have fluid in your lungs or bone shards floating around your chest,” Maxine says. She places a hand over her eyes, tilting her head up towards the ceiling. “And at least one of your ribs is broken, I can tell you that much even before the x-ray.”

“Ugh, really? Can you just,” Peter makes a motion similar to that of someone unzipping a jacket over his bruised chest, “Take the whole thing out? How many ribs do I need, anyway?”

Maxine makes the same frustrated noise that she always does when Peter asks her to perform major surgery so he can avoid wearing bandages or letting himself heal normally. Janine decides to intervene. “I’m fairly certain you were told to go to medical for help, not to terrorize the doctors.”

Peter beams at Janine and something in Janine’s chest jumps in response; there’s this thing Peter does when he sees Janine, where he almost glows with affection as the whole of his being turns towards her, and even after months of it, it’s still almost enough to make Janine blush.

Almost.

“Jenny! Just in time. Listen, I know you’re not one for biblical allusions, but do you want a rib? You could be like the Eve of my garden.”

“I think I’m good on body parts,” Janine says drily as Maxine snorts.

“I wasn’t going to take it out anyway,” Maxine says. She looks over Peter once more and sighs. “How’s your breathing?”

Peter tilts his head to the side and takes as deep a breath as he can. “Steady enough.”

“Are your organs all in about the right places?” She asks, and when Peter nods she continues, “And your lungs? Any fluid? I know you know what drowning feels like.”

“No fluid at all, Doc. A little pain, what from the bruises and the stabbing, but that’s a quick heal.”

Maxine frowns, though it looks more resigned than upset. “If I tell you to ice your ribs, will you do it?”

“Probably not,” Peter cheerfully admits. When Maxine rolls her eyes at him, he defends, “It’d barely be worth it! The pain’s almost nothing, anyway.”

Maxine huffs again. “I have half a mind to make you spend the day in here, just to make _sure_ you rest, but I _do_ have a job that’s not ‘babysit the ridiculous runners so they don’t reinjure themselves,’ despite what you and Five seem to think.”

“I could keep an eye on him,” Janine speaks up. “I stopped by to see how things were going before starting my paperwork, but he can come along to my office if he’d like.”

Peter perks up, but Maxine looks between the two of them with a raised eyebrow. “No strenuous activity until dinner time at _least_ ,” She says firmly.

“But my body-”

“Your body doesn’t need to be impaired by stupid risk-taking. No strenuous activity. You can sit in Janine’s office and stare at her like an Austenian love interest, but if you ‘agitate’ your wounds then I _will_ know and next time I _will_ make you sit in a locked room for the entirety of your healing process.”

“I’m almost offended that you think I’d allow that sort of thing in my office, of all places, Doctor Myers,” Janine says, mostly for appearances; she doesn’t think anyone needs to know that she had allowed that sort of thing in her office even _before_ the Ice Cream Cone Tower. Maxine sends her a dry look.

“I lived in close quarters with you two at Noah Base for almost a year, Janine, I’ve been completely stripped of the belief that you have any sort of reasonable boundaries when it comes to _him_ ,” Maxine says, and while Janine can understand, she also vaguely misses the days when her township members were afraid of her. Peter makes a dramatically offended noise that Maxine completely ignores as she gathers her tools and begins to make her way out. “No strenuous activity allowed, just chaste paperwork and longing glances. I have other patients to deal with.”

Janine huffs in amusement and offers Peter a hand so he can get up. “Shall we, then?”

Peter grins again and takes her hand, levering himself up and into her space with a laugh and a falsettoed, “Oh Mr. _Darcy_.”

“Careful,” Janine speaks quietly into the space between them, too small and too large at the same time, watching how Peter’s eyes are drawn to her lips. “ _You_ have Doctor’s orders to follow.”

“Spoilsport,” Peter mutters, but he’s still smiling as he presses a quick kiss to Janine’s cheek and moves around her. “Come on then, we have _paperwork_ to do.”

Janine rolls her eyes fondly and follows him out. Peter doesn’t take her hand but he does walk close enough that the backs of their hands brush against each other, a display of intimacy subtle enough that Janine would admit to enjoying it. He leans in and keeps up a running commentary on all the latest Abel scandals as the walk across the Township. It’s not until she unlocks her office and waves him in that he stops short.

“Uh, Janine,” He says, a strange tone to his voice, “What is _that_?”

“What?” Janine asks, glancing around the room. The larger-than-average stack of mail in her incoming tray is the only out of place thing that she can note; she’s put an effort into keeping her office in-sorts since she had to fix it after returning to Abel, and everything still seems to be normal enough. Peter walks to her bookshelf, pressing a finger to a glass jar on one of the shelves. _Oh_ , Janine thinks.

“ _This_ ,” Peter says, hand pressed against the glass, eyes fixed with a morbid wonder on the unbeating heart of Simon Lauchlan. “You kept it?”

“Oh, that,” Janine says. Before, when she realized that she was never going to be able to bring herself to throw the heart away, Janine had cleared a more permanent spot for its bag and left well-enough alone -- that is, left well-enough alone except for on particularly difficult days where she would allow herself to open the bag and examine the heart under the guise of “checking for decay.” Ian, though, had apparently given it to Veronica when he took over Janine’s Township; Veronica had tested it, found it free of the zombie virus, and promptly became uninterested, leaving it ignored in a glass jar. When Janine returned, she once again had Maxine to thank for the return of the heart, as the doctor had recognized it in Veronica’s lab and taken it back to her office, where Janine has left it since. Janine doesn’t say any of that, though, because she knows that’s not what Peter is asking about. “Did you know, the other settlement leaders gossip about me having ripped a still-beating heart out of an enemy’s chest? They say that’s why I have that.”

“And is that why you have it?

“No,” Janine answers. Peter glances at her, quick and nervous. “I have it because it was a gift, from a man I cared very much about.”

Peter laughs, sharp and bitter, and shakes his head. “I didn’t think- I mean, back then, I was in a really bad place, and I never considered that- I wouldn’t have _imagined_ -” Peter cuts himself off and looks over his shoulder at Janine, eyes bright with emotion. “Janine, darling, I can’t believe you _kept it_.”

There are unshed tears stuck on Peter’s lashes but still he looks at her and smiles. It’s not like the grin of earlier, it’s wavering and close-lipped and just on this side of bittersweet, but it makes Janine’s chest warm just the same. Janine steps forward, her hand easily finding its place on his cheek.

“I didn’t want to at first,” She admits, thumb stroking along his cheekbone. Peter tilts his head into the movement and nods slightly, understanding. “But I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it, either, once I knew.”

“And now?” He asks, gently, softly. Janine presses her other hand to Peter’s chest where she can feel his heart, beating ever-strong underneath it all. She doesn’t spare a glance for the thing in the jar.

“Now, I like to think I have something better,” She says easily, and Peter’s eyes soften. “ _And_ I don’t mind the rumors the other settlement leaders spread. It helps with treaties.”

“You’re a right terror sometimes, you know that?” Peter says and laughs again, though the sound is happier this time. Janine smiles back at him, and when he leans in to kiss her, she can feel his pulse kick up in time with her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in the mess hall that evening, maxine takes One Look at peter and janine and says "next time you're recovering in an isolation chamber." peter still very much thinks it was worth it 
> 
> my doctor wives hcs are that paula is the fun doctor wife who will get the bone saw out and cut out any body parts that peter would just regrow from scratch if he asks, meanwhile maxine is the sensible doctor wife who hates when peter casually asks her to do open chest surgery to avoid having to deal with his own body's healing process (i simply think there was a Reason paula was working for van ark in the first place and that reason is that her morals are a bit more grey than maxine's and that's Valid of her) 
> 
> anyway! i hope you enjoyed this weird, mushy second part to this weird, mushy fic! thanks so so much for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!
> 
> comments, kudos, etc keep the possibly immortal heart in my own chest warm <3
> 
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